DEVI ALLISON CORTEZ POV
"Allison!" I turned my head on where I heard my wife's voice calling my name.
"Is there any problem Ms. Cortez?" hindi ko pinansin ang kausap ko sa zoom meeting.
"Yes, honey? Anything wrong?" I shouted for her to hear me outside this room.
We're four years married now and decided to have a baby, it's been a long process of decision but we both decided to have it now. She volunteer herself to be the one who'll get pregnant, so she's carrying our child now. And I'm so so so happy.
I'm having a meeting with an international investors at the moment.
Binaling ko ulit ang tingin sa laptop na nasa table ko.
"Excuse me gentlemen, let's continue our meeting later, my wife needs me." I immediately close my laptop and run towards the door.
Dali dali akong pumunta sa kwarto namin where I found her on our bed looking so scared.
"Hey, what happened?" tanong ko sa kaniya ng malapitan ko siya.
"I think I saw a cockroach. Baka lumilipad pa yun Alli. I can't, baka dapuan niya kami." pagsusumbong niya sa'kin.
"What? There's no cockroaches in our room, love. Every 'tong nililinisan ni Nanay Maria, right?" tukoy ko sa kasambahay namin.
"But I really saw it." maktol niya.
"Alright. Get down here, maybe that cockroach flew away na. Come here, let me hug you." umiling siya.
"Come on, Carina. I'll kill that cockroach for you." mula sa pagiging takot ay napalitan ito ng pagtaas ng kilay niya.
"You're calling me, Carina? Just Carina?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong niya sa'kin.
Here we go again.
"No, honey I mean yes that's your name and I love it. Come down here, let me give you something to eat. What do you want?" pag-iiba ko ng usapan but her eyebrows are still raising.
"No, you're calling me Carina so I'll call you Allison forever." sabi niya sabay padabog na bumaba sa kam namin. Ako naman ay napapikit ng makababa siya.
"Love, come on let's take a rest na lang if you want." pigil ko sa braso niya pero tinapik niya lang yun.
"Don't touch me, I don't want you to touch me." huling sabi niya bago lumabas ng kwarto namin.
Napahinga naman ako ng malalim, oh ghad when will it stop? I can't understand her mood. It will suddenly change in a second and I'm near to lose all my patience but I can't do that. She's my wife and she's six months pregnant so I must understand her at all cost.
"I'll just buy something at the department store." paalam ko sa kaniya ng makita ko siya sa sala na tahimik na nanonood.
"You want something?" tanong ko sa kaniya but she just ignore me.
"Alright, I'll go now." hindi naman talaga ako aalis. Gusto ko lang siyang pansinin ako. Ayaw niyang mawala ako sa paningin niya.
"Bubuksan ko na ang pinto ha, aalis na ako." sabi ko ulit habang ang tingin ko ay nasa kaniya pa rin. Napangisi ako ng muntik na siyang mapalingon sa gawi ko.
"Love, I'm going." sabi ko ulit and there she is.
She looked at me while her eyes are crying. Napalapit naman ako sa kaniya at niyakap siya.
"Shh." pagpapatahan ko sa kaniya.
"You're leaving me?" she asked while sobbing.
"Of course not, honey." I kissed her forehead to assure her.
